Professor McGonagall: Dark Conspirator
by Rainsong
Summary: When James and Sirius suspect Professor McGonagall of passing information to Voldemort, they decide to do a bit of investigating of their own. MWPP, of course.
1. Chapter 1

Professor McGonagall: Dark Conspirator  
  
by Rainsong  
  
Summary: When James and Sirius suspect Prof. McGonagall of passing information to Voldemort, they decide to do a bit of investigating of their own. MWPP, of course.  
  
A/N: Well, I'm trying my hand at writing flat-out MWPP fiction. Takes place in 6th year. Not much of an Author's Note, really. Please Read & Review, and in case you're wondering, I'm flame-retardant.  
  
~~~~  
  
Sirius drummed his fingers on the wooden desk, staring blankly out the window during his afternoon Transfiguration lesson. Professor McGonagall was droning on about something that had to do with the complications of becoming an Animagus. When the lesson had started, James and Sirius were both cracking jokes and answering every question with ease. But after about the first fifteen minutes, the joke grew stale and boredom ensued.  
  
James seemed to be sleeping, though he had artfully positioned his head so that it looked as though he was reading from the textbook. Every now and then, he recieved a sharp poke from Lily, and jolted back into consciousness. But even that only lasted so long; soon his glasses had drooped down to the tip of his nose, and he was again sound asleep.  
  
"I want a foot of parchment on what goes into the process of becoming an Animagus, due Monday. Good day." Professor McGonagall said. She stood up, straightened her papers, and left the classroom hurriedly.  
  
The students began to rise slowly, stretching and yawning, and move out the door. Soon Sirius, Remus, Lily and Peter were the only ones left standing in the room, as James was still snoozing soundly. Sirius bent down, positioned himself right next to James's ear, and shouted loudy.  
  
"POTTER! ON THE FIELD, NOW!"  
  
James sat up abruptly, blinking and grabbing for a nonexistent broomstick. Sirius stood up, looking quite satisfied. When James had come to his senses, he glared angrily at Sirius.  
  
"You know, normal people usually tap, not shout." James said, gathering his books.  
  
"Prongs, I was merely testing your reflexes. Chasers need to fine-tune their nervous system, especially when you've got Lestrange as a Beater for Slytherin." Sirius said matter-of-factly as they walked out of the room. "And haven't we had the discussion about 'normal people' and me before?"  
  
"Yes, Padfoot, and I have no desire to have it again. Let me rephrase the statement. Even the weirdest of people tap. Some may throw fruit, but even that would have been more acceptable."  
  
Sirius grinned, looking satisfied with that answer.  
  
"You're just lucky McGonagall wasn't in here to hear that. She's always had a problem with Padfoot shouting." Remus said.  
  
"Or just talking in general."  
  
"Or breathing."  
  
"Hello? When did I leave the building?" Sirius said, waving at everyone.  
  
"A long time ago, Padfoot. A very long time ago." James said. Everyone chuckled except for Sirius, who continued to contest his insanity all the way down the corridor.  
  
"Speaking of McGonagall, where'd she hurry off to so quickly?" Peter asked as the conversation veered away from Sirius.  
  
"Dunno. Maybe she had a meeting or something. Well, we've got to get going." James said, gesturing down the hall. "We've got Divination."  
  
Remus, Lily, and Peter nodded, and walked off towards Arithmancy class, leaving James and Sirius alone in the hallway. They began to turn to walk up the staircase to class when they heard a voice coming from a deserted classroom to their left.  
  
"Its been getting darker and darker lately. What do you think it means?"  
  
The two looked at each other, and hurried towards the door, peeking through the small window. They had a limited field of vision, but could clearly see Professor McGonagall and Professor Grendel, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor McGonagall had the left arm of her robes raised, and was showing something to Professor Grendel, who examined it closely.  
  
"I don't know. I haven't heard of anything going around lately." Professor Grendel replied.  
  
"Well, tell me if you hear anything. Or if you have any idea what it is." Professor McGonagall replied. She put her robe back down and began to walk towards the door. Scrambling, Sirius and James hid behind a large statue on the other side of the corridor, watching as the two professors exited and went their seperate ways. When the coast was clear, they stood up, both looking shocked.  
  
"D-Do you think that was..what I think that was?" Sirius asked weakly.  
  
"Couldn't be. I mean, its McGonagall. She couldn't have the Mark..she couldn't be a Death Eater." James said, though he looked just as shaken.  
  
"But she was talking to Grendel! That guy's got more Dark objects than Knockturn Alley, and somehow I doubt they're all teaching tools." Sirius said, looking nervously around the corner to make sure no one else was overhearing their conversation.  
  
"But Dumbledore wouldn't have hired him if he knew that he was a Death Eater. And anyway, McGonagall is Dumbledore's closest confidante. He'd know if she were on the other side. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this." James said.  
  
"Thats what you said when they found '101 Ways to Torture a Muggle' in Professor Scantmayer's office." Sirius said, referring to last year's ill- fated Dark Arts teacher.  
  
James scowled at Sirius. "Look, why don't we wait until after Divination. We can talk to the others at dinner and get their opinion. Until then, we do nothing." he said. Sirius pondered this for a minute, nodded, and they continued on to Divination.  
  
*  
  
Later that evening, they were seated in the Great Hall for dinner. The moment everyone was settled, James and Sirius both burst out the entire story of Professor McGonagall. When they had finished their recollection, there was silence from all three of the listeners. But it was soon broken by Lily, who began to laugh.  
  
"Honestly! Professor McGonagall?" Lily said between giggles. "I mean, you two have gone off on some wild conspiracy theories before, but McGonagall?"  
  
"Look, I have to agree with Lily on this one. She could have been showing Grendel anything." Remus said as he started on his mashed potatoes.  
  
Sirius and James, both looking utterly offended that no one would take them seriously, continued eating without another word. After watching them for a moment, Lily set down her fork.  
  
"Stop it, both of you. Especially you, James. I expect this behavior from Sirius." Lily added.  
  
As Sirius opened his mouth to protest, a silence came over the hall. They all turned to see Professor Grendel standing up, clearing his throat. His frizzy red hair was shooting up in every direction, and his dark brown eyes looked apprehensive.  
  
"In Professor Dumbledore's absence, I have a message to deliver to you all. As you may know, he is doing business in Norway, and will not be back until Tuesday." Grendel began. "Professor McGonagall received a rather urgent owl and needed to leave immediately. Therefore, her classes will be free periods for all students. I suggest you use your time well." he added. Stepping away from the front of the room, Grendel disappeared into the hallway.  
  
Sirius turned back to Lily, and, speaking as though he had made some great revelation, said "I told you so!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
A/N: End of Chapter One! Wahoo..next chapter should be up tomorrow, with any luck. I'm struggling to keep this one interesting and funny, as I am not a very talented writer, so bear with me. In the meantime, read some of Trinity Day's fiction. (Shameless plug for my favorite author! Oh well..we all have our idols.) 


	2. Chapter 2

Professor McGonagall: Dark Conspirator  
  
by Rainsong  
  
A/N: Thanks so much to my reviewers, bluemeanies and Kitty. Glad you liked it so far!  
  
~~~  
  
"That means absolutely nothing. She could have gone anywhere." Remus said as the four of them sat in the Three Broomsticks that night, sipping butterbeer and discussing the events of the day.  
  
The pub was filled to the brim with regulars and foreigners. A group of hags was chatting noisingly in the corner, and a small table full of Aurors near the bar was arguing quite noisily. Madam Rosmerta shook her head as she listened to them ranting on.  
  
"So, Rosie, have any news for us?" Sirius began, ignoring Remus.  
  
"Not for your ears." she replied shortly as she filled a mug for a goblin.  
  
"Oh, come on Rosie. Its not our first year; our brains are already sufficiently tainted." Sirius said.  
  
Madam Rosmerta sighed, giving in, and leaned in close to the four boys. They huddled around, to hear whatever news she whispered.  
  
"Rumor has it that there's a congregation of Death Eaters that are planning something big for this weekend. Possibly a raid." Rosmerta whispered. Sirius and James looked knowingly at Remus, who stared skeptically back. Peter looked terrified, and sat back slightly, as though not wanting to hear any more.  
  
"That's one of the many reasons you boys should not be in here! If something happened to one or all of you, it'd be a nightmare." Madam Rosmerta said, standing back up and continuing to fill mugs.  
  
James rolled his eyes, wanting more information than was given.  
  
"Don't you roll your eyes, James Potter! I'm not joking. Scoot, all of you, or I'll hex you out!" Madam Rosmerta said, brandishing her wand.  
  
The four boys stood up reluctantly, and walked out onto the streets.  
  
"See, I told you. McGonagall is up to something." Sirius said the moment they left.  
  
"You're just angry with her because she gives you detention so often." Remus said.  
  
"Moony, I'm shocked!" Sirius said, in mock horror. "Just whose side are you on anyway?"  
  
"I'm not on 'sides', Sirius. But I do think that you're overreacting to something very explainable." Remus responded.  
  
"James! Agree with me." Sirius commanded.  
  
"I'm going to give Sirius the benefit of the doubt on this one. The evidence is building up." James replied, looking over at Remus.  
  
"Fine. You two can go on some insanity-driven mind trip together. But don't blame me when you both end up expelled for even suggesting that a Hogwarts staff member was a Death Eater!" Remus said. "I'll be in Gladrags." he added, and walked off.  
  
Peter looked around nervously, and making up his mind, ran after Remus. Sirius and James were left alone on the darkened street of Hogsmeade. The lighted streetlamps cast an eerie glow on the pathway, making shadows stretch. The slight breeze that was filling the air grew colder, and Sirius and James retreated into Honeydukes. When they got there, they were surprised to see Remus and Peter waiting for them.  
  
"I thought you two were going to be in Gladrags?" James asked.  
  
"We were.. for about thirty seconds. There's really not much to do in there." Peter responded. Remus nodded, looking sort of sheepish.  
  
There was an awkward silence for a few moments, until James spoke up again.  
  
"Maybe we should all be getting back to Hogwarts, eh? Its getting late, and we're already out way past curfew."  
  
The three others nodded, and they started down the secret passage way. As they neared Hogwarts, James unfolded his Invisibility Cloak and draped it over the four of them as best as he could. Though this was relatively simple in first year, it had become more of a difficulty as each got taller.  
  
Sirius cursed loudly, followed by a whispered apology from Peter. "Will both of you shut up? Someone's going to hear us!" James hissed at Sirius and Peter.  
  
They continued to creep through the tunnel, soon reaching Hogwarts once again. After climbing out of the statue of the One-Eyed Witch, they all hurried down the corridor. James slipped out from under the cloak, and approached the sleeping Fat Lady.  
  
"Frog fritters," James whispered. Not even looking up, the Fat Lady verified the password, opening the passage into the Gryffindor common room. James beckoned towards the others, who were still under the Invisibility Cloak, and they followed him in, climbing through the portrait hole and sliding the cloak off as soon as the Fat Lady had closed behind them.  
  
"So now we have new evidence," Sirius said, sounding very accomplished.  
  
"Evidence about what?" came a voice from somewhere in the corner.  
  
The four Marauders turned around, and saw Lily sitting next to the fire, reading a thick, leatherbound book. She was looking in askance at them, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. She had spent enough time around James and his friends to know that whenever they gathered 'evidence' about anything, it was usually a bad sign.  
  
"McGonagall. Remember? Death Eater scum?" Sirius said before anyone could stop him.  
  
"You're unbelievable. I refuse to be associated with this madness in any way, shape or form." Lily said firmly. She turned around and continued to read.  
  
"Your loss." Sirius said, shrugging. He began to walk up the stairs towards the dormitory. Remus and Peter lingered for a moment, and then followed. James stood there, looking at Lily.  
  
"Lil.. you're not mad, are you?" he asked, looking nervous.  
  
"No, of course not. Sirius is the one who's mad! He's insane!" Lily whispered, in case Sirius was listening.  
  
"Yeah, but he's insane in a likeable way, though." James said, looking unsure of his feeble attempt at defending Sirius.  
  
Lily smiled. "You know I have nothing against Sirius. He's one of my good friends, too, in case you forgot. But this could hold heavy consequences. He's accusing a Hogwarts teacher of treason!" Lily said more sternly.  
  
"Yes, Lily, I'm aware of that. But, frankly I think he has a point. We won't do anything drastic unless we have some hard evidence. We'll go about this cautiously, I promise." he said. Before Lily could say anything else, he kissed her softly, and whispered goodnight.  
  
Lily sat in the chair, shaking her head. "The chances of Sirius and James going about something cautiously is about as slim as Professor McGonagall being a Death Eater," she mumbled to herself. She turned from the fire, and tiptoed off to bed. 


	3. Chapter 3

Professor McGonagall: Dark Conspirator  
  
by Rainsong  
  
A/N: Not too many reviews for this one! Please give me some feedback, I'm begging you! But anyway, thanks to those godlike individuals who did review, Sirius's Soul Mate, Alchemine, MK, Ailsa, and May. Thank you!!!  
  
~~~~  
  
It was Saturday, and the sun was shining brightly. The school had gathered outside for a Quidditch match, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, which always made for heated competition. As James had already left for the locker room, Sirius, Remus, Lily, and Peter were making their way across the grounds to the pitch. Sirius was prattling on about Quidditch tactics, when a cold voice spoke behind him.  
  
"Hope you all brought a body bag for Potter. I give it ten minutes before he's on the ground."  
  
They turned around to see Snape standing there, surrounded by a group of other Slytherins, each sporting emerald-green flags. He was smirking malevolently and staring at Sirius coldly.  
  
"Lestrange is quite the Beater, you know. He also fancies blood... not a good combination if you happen to be a Gryffindor Chaser." Snape continued, looking very amused.  
  
"If I were you, Snape, I'd stop talking, for two reasons. One, I don't exactly see you out there on a broom, and two, if you don't shut up, a body bag could definitely be in order." Sirius said. He turned back around and continued to walk.  
  
"Wow, Padfoot, I'm proud of you. You didn't beat him into a bloody pulp. I think that can be certified as progress." Remus said sarcastically.  
  
"I should have. That greasy head of his is getting a little inflated. Maybe I could poke a few holes." Sirius said, snickering. He looked behind them, to see Snape and his gang still following, talking in whispers.  
  
Sirius, not turning his head, whispered to Remus, "I think they might try to jump us. Keep your wand close."  
  
Remus nodded nonchalantly. This was not the first time something like this had happened. Snape's gang of Slytherins, while keen on staying in the professors' good book, were known to instigate duels with other students, Gryffindors especially. And with a Quidditch match approaching, tempers were at their peak.  
  
Then, the moment they were anticipating came; one of the Slytherins shouted out a curse that jetted towards where the four of them were standing. Sirius shoved Lily out of the way, and Remus dove in the other direction, knocking Peter out of the way in the process. Sirius pulled out his wand, and fired a curse back. It shot towards the boy standing next to Snape, hitting him in the face. Boils began to erupt, and the boy cried out in pain. One of the other Slytherins pulled the injured boy to the side, and began running with him towards the hospital wing.  
  
"Might want to work on that aim, Black, especially if you want that Mudblood to last much longer." Snape shouted back, jerking his head towards Lily. This proved to be too much for Sirius; he fired another curse, this time heading directly for Snape. But at the last moment, Snape swerved, and the jet of red sparks only grazed his ear. He began to laugh, and opened his mouth to say something, when suddenly his eyes began to roll, and his face turned an unnatural shade of red. He collapsed, and wisps of smoke began to come out of his nose, ears, and open mouth. Sirius turned, and saw Remus standing there, wand raised, looking very accomplished.  
  
"Moony? That was-"  
  
"Hothead Curse. Pretty useful, though if he doesn't get to the hospital wing soon he'll spontaneously combust. I thought it might work as a substitute for beating him into a bloody pulp." Remus said, smiling mischieviously. They watched as the Slytherins began to carry Snape off to the hospital wing.  
  
"Think they'll rat on us?" Sirius asked, looking a little worried.  
  
"Normally, yes. But they won't admit that they lost an informal duel. Snape'll make up some explanation that he was attacked from behind." Remus said.  
  
They turned, and saw Lily and Peter standing up and brushing off their robes.  
  
"Good going, now we'll all end up in detention." Lily said irritably.  
  
Sirius and Remus stood there, looking dumbfounded. "We defend your honor and you tell us we're morons?" Sirius asked.  
  
"If I thought my honor needed defending, I would have done it myself. Oh well, Snape did get what he deserved for insulting James." Lily said, sounding considerably happier.  
  
They took their seats in the stands, preparing to watch the Quidditch match. Sirius swung a box of popcorn from an unfortunate prefect who was selling them. The teams entered, and the stadium rang with applause. The Gryffindors in the crowd erupted with chants of "Go, Go, Gryffindor!" and the Slytherins chanted their house name, hissing like snakes in between. The entire area was silenced, though, as Madam Hooch walked out onto the field.  
  
"Clean match, all of you. On my whistle." Madam Hooch shouted. She counted down from three, and then the whistle sounded for everyone to hear. The balls were released, and the players shot into the air. The commentator began running off names as the Quaffle was passed.  
  
"Gryffindor in possession.. Hemming's got the Quaffle, he might score...Ouch, thats got to hurt. Bludger fired by Rembrent, Slytherin Beater. Slytherin in possession, Crellin about to score..Nice save by Jenkins of Gryffindor. Gryffindor back in possession, Potter taking the Quaffle, nearing the Slytherin goal posts...SCORE! Ten points to Gryffindor! Slytherin back in possession as the ball is back into play.."  
  
And so it continued on like that for the next hour, and soon the score was tied, forty points to each side. As the day wore on, so did the sun, and soon tents had been erected over the spectators to prevent heat and sunburn.  
  
"Potter has the Quaffle again and- What was that? Lestrange and Rembrent both fired their Bludgers at Potter..dodged them successfully..I see a penalty." the commentator said.  
  
Sirius shouted something at Lestrange that he probably wouldn't of said had he noticed the faculty sitting so near him.  
  
"Black, clean out your mouth or I'll do it myself!"  
  
Sirius turned around to see Professor McGonagall staring at him sternly through her square spectacles.  
  
"P-Professor McGonagall! You're back?" Sirius stammered, wide-eyed with shock. She nodded curtly.  
  
"Yes, Black, the party's over. I don't want to know what mischief you and Potter got into during my absence, but it ends now. So sorry." McGonagall said sarcastically, and then turned back to the Quidditch match, where Gryffindor had just scored a penalty.  
  
Sirius stared meaningfuly at Remus, Peter, and Lily for a moment before they noticed him. He gestured over his shoulder at where McGonagall was seated. A piece of popcorn slipped out of Peter's mouth in surprise. Remus rolled his eyes and shook his head, looking back to the field. Lily raised her eyebrows slightly, looked over at McGonagall briefly, and then also looked back at the Quidditch match, where Gryffindor was back in possession. Sirius, looking indignantly at all of them, turned back in time to see Professor McGonagall getting up from her seat and moving down from the stands to the field.  
  
Sirius watched her closely, as she took a seat on the Quidditch field. He saw her whisper something to a man standing nearby. The man nodded to her, and pulled something out of his robes. He held it up.  
  
Then, suddenly, there was an explosion. The four of them scrambled up to get a better look. In the center of the field, a ball of red and orange flame was lingering, and there was a huge cloud of dust and ash floating in the air. Beneath it was a hole, as though a bomb had been dropped directly on the field. It looked as though the Slythern team had missed the force of the explosion, for they were all hovering at the other end of the field, looking shocked. But it looked as though the Gryffindor side was missing a few players. The four of them all seemed to come to the same conclusion.  
  
"Where's James?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
A/N: Oooh...cliffie! You've come this far, why not review? 


	4. Chapter 4

Professor McGonagall: Dark Conspirator  
  
by Rainsong  
  
A/N: Sorry to say, but I'm a little disappointed. Only 10 reviews? If no one's interested, I won't continue this one, because to be perfectly honest, I don't have the time. I have family coming in from out of town soon, and I also have Beltane to celebrate, so there won't be much from me tomorrow. Please, if you like this fiction at all, review. Thanks to those who have offered their compliments, though, including Sirius's Soul Mate and MK.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Sirius, Remus, Lily and Peter had begun scrambling down through the bleachers, intent on reaching the ground. The smoke was clearing, and people where beginning to panic. There were yells of Death Eaters, or foul play by one of the teams, ringing through the air. The teachers stood up, shouting for calm. But even Dumbledore's powerful voice didn't penetrate the waves of shock that were going through the crowd. People were beginning to notice the missing Gryffindor Quidditch players, and the four of them watched as Professor McGonagall started back towards the teachers' box. She looked just as distraught as everyone else, an expression Sirius would later call a 'cheap imitation of fear.'  
  
When the reached the field, a group of mediwizards was already levitating unconscious players across the field to a newly-pitched tent, where there was a cot for each one of them. They watched as Malone, the Gryffindor Seeker, was levitated onto a cot, followed by Hemming, a Chaser. Then, through the slight haze left by the explosion, they saw the last injured player coming forward. It was James; and to everyone's relief, he wasn't unconscious, though he did have a noticeable limp. He waved wearily at them, his broom clutched in his other arm. The four of them rushed forward, Peter lagging behind slightly after seeing the trickle of blood that was coming from the torn arm of James's robes. They all broke into conversation at once.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Was it McGonagall?"  
  
"ARE YOU OKAY?"  
  
  
  
Before James could answer any of their questions, Madam Pomfrey had broken into the small circle they had formed. "James Potter, get over to the medical tent now. You can brag about your heroism to your friends after we heal that leg. Looks broken." she commented. Without another word, she grabbed his arm and half-dragged him away, causing him to drop his broom in the process. He waved back at them, and mouthed the words "See you later!" before disappearing into the haze.  
  
Sirius picked up James's broom, and turned to the others. "Did you see McGonagall?" Sirius asked, in a hushed, conspiring voice. The others, not looking keen on arguing, meerly shook their heads, looking to Sirius for explanation. He launched into the story of McGonagall leaving her seat, and the mysterious man speaking with her. When he finished, Peter looked even more terrified than he had before, and even Remus and Lily looked a little uncomfortable.  
  
"Alright. I will admit, that's a little weird. Very weird, okay?" Remus added, after seeing the exasperated look on Sirius's face.  
  
"Good. If we're all in agreement, then we can continue with The Plan." Sirius said ominously. Lily stared at him, one eyebrow raised. "The Plan?" she asked.  
  
"We're investigating tonight. Catch McGonagall in the act. Its going to be great to see the look on her face when we drag Dumbledore in just in time to see her meeting with Voldemort himself. Unless..unless Dumbledore's in on it too! Then we'd have this whole conspi-"  
  
"Ahem! Sirius!" Lily said, knocking him out of the world he had just lapsed into.  
  
"Lily, its very rude to interrupt people when they're talking to themselves." Sirius said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Lily, Sirius's only guide is 'Ettique for the Clinically Insane.' Don't expect miracles." Peter said.  
  
Lily smiled, nodding her head. "Ah. I forgot about his disability."  
  
"Ha ha," Sirius said dryly. He turned to look at the stands. "Well, who's up for a round of mass hysteria?"  
  
  
  
When the other three turned, it was obvious what he was talking about. People were leaping out of their seats, trying to run back to the castle. There was screaming, and there were quite a few girls crying. The teachers were also trying to band together to keep the students in one area, but were, for the most part, unsuccessful. Sirius, Remus, Lily and Peter seemed to be the only ones not panicking, but even they suddenly realized the danger they were in. Lily, after looking towards the crowd, moved subtly closer to Remus and Sirius. Peter stood very still, his watery eyes darting around in fear. Remus looked more frustrated than anything else, undoubtedly at the lack of order or information. Sirius bit his lip nervously, and suggested heading towards the base of the stands to wait for instruction from the teachers. Everyone else seemed to think this was a very good idea, and they began to walk quickly over.  
  
  
  
Through the mist, they saw a figure approaching them. Cautiously, they stopped, waiting for some identification. The face of Albus Dumbledore was soon looking back at them.  
  
"I'm going to be making an announcement. Please, stay on the pitch." he said quickly. He raised his wand to his throat, muttered "Sonorus!" and began to address the students.  
  
"Silence, please!" he called, his voice booming through the grounds. There was an almost instantaneous end to the bustling, as everyone froze to listen to the headmaster speak.  
  
"We do not know what has just happened. It may have very well been an attack by Death Eaters, but I must ask you to remain calm. Please stay with a group, and WALK back to the dormitories in a fashion as orderly as possible. If you have been injured, please go to the medical tent to my left. Remain calm. If Death Eaters are truly behind this, they will be discovered." he said. Returning his voice to its regular volume, he walked off in the other direction.  
  
One moment later, the noise intensified, as thousands of feet ran at top speed towards the castle.  
  
~~~~~  
  
A/N: There you go. Review this, dammit! 


	5. Chapter 5

Professor McGonagall: Dark Conspirator  
  
by Rainsong  
  
A/N: Gee whiz, 16 whole reviews! I'm honored that I'm so loved, and that I'm getting such good reception! *Steps out of fantasy world* Please review this, I feel so defeated when I don't get a good number of reviews. I'm sorry it took me so long to update this time, but I just don't feel very MOTIVATED *wink wink*. Thanks so much to those who have taken the time to give their honest opinions. To all those who consider this a painful read, don't worry, it'll be over soon. Oh yeah..Constructive criticism please, because I know I need it!  
  
~~~~~  
  
It was minutes short of eleven o'clock, and the crowds gathered in the Gryffindor common room were dwindling as the hours passed. After the explosion during the Quidditch match, all of the students were confined to their seperate wings of Hogwarts as the faculty scoured the grounds for any signs of Death Eaters. Unfortunately, their search revealed nothing, and all had retired to bed for the night. Soon only the four Mauraders were left sitting by the fire, talking in hushed tones.  
  
"So you're sure you didn't see anything?" Sirius asked James for about the fifth time that night.  
  
Before James could answer, Remus spoke, looking at Sirius incredulously.  
  
"Sirius! You'd think that you didn't care in the slightest that James could have died out there!"  
  
Sirius leaned back in his armchair, looking back at Remus in a reluctant sort of way.  
  
"Moony, of course I would care if James died. I would beyond care; it would tear my soul from my very body and rip it into shreds at my feet." Sirius said dramatically. "But the fact is, I wasn't worried. James is durable. He's like.. the Whomping Willow." he finished.  
  
"Violent, disliked, and an off shade of green?" James asked dryly.  
  
Sirius grinned. "Whatever floats your boat, mate. But I was thinking more along the lines of.. Well, actually I wasn't thinking at all. The Whomping Willow was the first indestructable thing that came to mind."  
  
"What about a Bludger? Bludgers are durable." Peter suggested.  
  
"Again with the violence factor!" James said, sounding annoyed.  
  
"Speaking of random acts of the latter, do you think we should go McGonagall hunting yet?" Sirius asked, looking at James specifically.  
  
James checked his watch. He nodded, saying "The rest of the teachers should be in bed by now. But keep in mind, I'm only doing this for you, Padfoot."  
  
The two of them stood up, looking at Remus and Peter imploringly. "No, no, and absolutely not." Remus said stiffly, answering their thoughts. Peter, wincing slightly, nodded his head in agreement with Remus.  
  
"Suit yourself, party poopers. But if we get some outlandish amount of reward money from the Ministry for catching one of their most elusive enemies, don't expect us to share it." Sirius said. He climbed out the portrait hole, the Invisibility Cloak tucked neatly under James's arm ahead of him.  
  
Carefully, the two of them unfolded the cloak and slipped under it. With soft footsteps, they headed towards the second floor corridor, and down the hall to the teacher's sleeping quarters.  
  
They could see Professor McGonagall's name gleaming in the torchlight when they reached the first set of rooms. Her door was open slightly, and James and Sirius could hear chatter from inside. Curiously, they crouched down near the open door and listened carefully.  
  
"I just don't think that they should be here anymore. It obvious that they know too much." McGonagall's voice said.  
  
"Are you sure? The two of them seem to have quite the knack for sitting monotonously though things they could benefit from. Maybe this is such an event." came the voice of Albus Dumbledore.  
  
"I know, but I think it might be genuine this time. There's been a little over the normal amount of activity from them lately. And they are very bright, even if they don't always act it. It might be..inhibiting..to the rest if we allow them to continue." McGonagall said, sounding put-out.  
  
"Alright, Minerva. I see your point. I give you permission to take Mr. Black and Mr. Potter out."  
  
Sirius was so startled, he fell backwards, causing the cloak to slip off both of them. A sudden silence came from McGonagall's room.  
  
"Did you hear that?" McGongall whispered quickly.  
  
"No, but then again, I was entranced by this vase of yours. Is it new?" came Dumbledore's voice.  
  
"Albus, do be quiet. There's someone outside of the door."  
  
James and Sirius heared the shuffling of feet, and hurriedly threw the Invisibility Cloak over themselves once more. They watched as McGonagall opened the door, and peered out. She was wearing crimson robes and was looking particularly severe. Her eyes seemed to rest on James and Sirius for a moment, as though she could see them faintly and needed a closer look. Looking frustrated, she stared into the darkness of the corridor for a moment, and then slipped back inside.  
  
Sirius breathed a sigh of relief. James turned to look at him, and whispered what had been on both of their minds for some time.  
  
"Take us out?" James said weakly.  
  
It looked as though a lightbulb had gone on in Sirius's head. His eyes opened wide, and his jaw dropped. He made a noise as if he was going to say something, but James held up a hand to silence him, and listened as McGonagall went on.  
  
"Should I go now?" she said, sounding nervous.  
  
"For Sirius and James? Well, it certainly could wait for morning. But knowing the pair of them, they're probably awake in the common room. If you really feel like a midnight stroll, be my guest, Minerva. Just make it quick and quiet. We don't want to wake the other students." Dumbledore replied.  
  
James and Sirius looked at each other, equally as shocked. In one swift motion, they were taking the stairs towards Gryffindor tower two at a time.  
  
When they reached the Gryffindor common room, James slipped out from the Invisibility Cloak and muttered the password. Thankfully, the Fat Lady didn't look up to see who it was, and let the door swing open. Thankful for her lazy behavior, the two of them slid in through the portrait hole.  
  
Peter and Remus were still sitting by the fire, playing a spirited game of Exploding Snap. Remus looked up.  
  
"So, I hope you're satisfied that Professor McGonagall is in no way a d-"  
  
"Get whatever heavy objects you can find and barricade the door!" Sirius shouted. With his wand, he moved an armchair over to the opposite side of the room, setting it down against the portrait hole. James followed suit, moving another chair. Before they could continue, Remus stood up and sat down in one of the positioned chairs. He looked at the two of them sternly.  
  
"Now tell me what you heard or saw that could possibly cause you shut yourselves in the common room." he said, as calmly as possible.  
  
"McGonagall..she was talking to Dumbledore, and it was about us." James began.  
  
"Us meaning Sirius and yourself, or us meaning the four of us collectively?" Remus asked.  
  
"Sirius and me. She said she was going to 'take us out', and that we know too much. She's on her way." James replied quickly.  
  
"So Moony, I hope you understand when I tell you to get out of that bloody chair so we can continue piling furniture." Sirius said, sounding irritated.  
  
"No, Padfoot, not an option. Actually, I'm sort of disappointed in you. I thought you'd want to take on McGonagall, not run like a headless chicken." Remus said, an odd grin flickering across his face.  
  
Sirius, looking suspicious, turned to James, who looked equally surprised at Remus's words.  
  
"No, honestly. This is not Marauder behavior. Check the book." Remus said. He nodded to a thick, leather-bound book entitled 'Maurader Law & Code'.  
  
Sirius suddenly sounded thoughtful. "You know, Prongs, he has a point. We've never run from Snape, and he was probably initiated into Voldemort's inner circle upon birth. What kind of simpering morons are we?"  
  
"True. So, what say we go take the upper hand?" James said, looking determined. Sirius nodded, and they moved the furniture from the portrait hole. Turning to face the area where the back of the picture of the Fat Lady was visible. They both pulled out their wands.  
  
"Ready?" James asked, looking nervous.  
  
"Ready." Sirius replied.  
  
With one push, they threw open the door. They were face to face with Professor McGonagall.  
  
In unison, the two Gryffindors tumbled backwards, propped up by their hands. They were now sitting at McGonagall's feet. They both looked up in horror.  
  
"Get back, bringer of Darkness!" Sirius shouted. The entire scene would have been very funny had the situation not been so dire.  
  
"Mr. Black, what in Merlin's name are you speaking of?" McGonagall asked, looking shocked.  
  
"We heard you talking to Dumbledore tonight. You're going to kill us both because we know too much about your plot!" James said, Sirius nodding vigorously.  
  
"Kill you?"  
  
"Yeah, you said you wanted to take us out!" Sirius replied, his wand held out in front of him in his shaking hand.  
  
McGonagall sighed, looking almost amused. "No, Mr. Black, I am not here to kill you. But I am here because I want to take you and Potter out of my Transfiguration class. You seem to know all there is to know about the process of becoming an Animagus; your test scores have been above your average caliber. How you have this knowledge I do not know. But your lack of attention, while not irregular, is disturbing the class. I thought you might like to take another course until this one is complete." she said.  
  
"But that explosion at the Quidditch match! We saw you give someone the signal to set of some sort of..explosive!" Sirius accused once more.  
  
"Mr. Berthley? He was there as a supervisor. I had a meeting scheduled with him after the match, and merely was asking for the time. He pulled out his pocket watch." McGonagall said, looking more scandalized by the minute.  
  
"Don't play dumb. We've caught on to you. We saw you in that room with Professor Grendel, showing him the Dark Mark on your arm!" James shouted accusingly.  
  
Professor McGonagall faltered for a moment, looking slightly embarassed. "I was mixing potions, and I accidentally splashed a bit of the uncompleted mixture onto my arm. A rash developed, and I was asking Professor Grendel if he thought it was in need of medical attention." she said through gritted teeth.  
  
"So you're not a Death Eater?" Sirius asked weakly.  
  
"No, Mr. Black, I'm not. And I give you both a week of detention for even suggesting such a thing. Now, I suggest you wrap up your little detective session and get to bed." she said angrily. She spun around and bustled off, looking very agitated.  
  
Sirius and James got up, brushing themselves off. "Well, she seemed a bit miffed, don't you think?" Sirius asked, looking not the least bit charinged.  
  
"A bit miffed? Sirius, we just accused her of being a Death Eater. 'Miffed' doesn't even begin to describe it." James said angrily. They turned to see Remus sitting there, looking very content with himself.  
  
"You tricked us into confronting her, didn't you?" James asked him, sounding defeated.  
  
"Yes, I did. But I wasn't lying when I said that you needed to confront her. You couldn't sit in the dormitories, prolonging your fate." Remus said, grinning.  
  
"Moony, you stupid git, mark my words: revenge shall be had upon you." Sirius said, glaring at Remus.  
  
Remus picked up the heavy volume titled 'Marauders Law & Code'.  
  
"Now there must be something in here about pranking fellow Mauraders..or possibly wild conspiracy theories with no backing in logic or educated thought, for that matter..."  
  
He was silenced as two pillows hurled into his face, and James and Sirius swung a high-five. James grinned, seeming to forget about the week's worth of detention to enjoy this moment.  
  
"I knew it'd work out in our favor."  
  
~*The End*~  
  
A/N: Please review this, and make my day ducky.  
  
By the way: I do not own Harry Potter. Satisfied?  
  
A/N: Thanks to everyone who put up with my bitchiness while writing this. It was particulary difficult for me, and caused a lot of grouchy wrong-side- of-the-bed days at school. Thank you. 


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